THE vivacious Laila Khan Furniturewala is gearing up to celebrate the 50th of her husband Farhan. The décor expert turned 50 last week, but the missus is putting together a big shebang this Saturday at a midtown five-star hotel. The tango-themed night will see the hall dressed up in red, and there will be a performance by flamenco dancers. On their guest list are family, which obviously includes Sundri Khan, Sanjay and Zarine Khan, Akbar Khan, Malaika and Zayed Khan, Simone and Ajay Arora, Susanne Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and friends such as Ayesha and Jackie Shroff, Mala and Harsh Goenka, Tanya and Arvind Dubash, Kamal and Niranjan Hiranandani, Ekta and Rahul Raheja, Anu and Sunny Dewan and Radhika and Anshuman Ruia. We hear Farhan’s ex-wife Pooja Bedi is also invited. So lovely.

THE Kadri family has been a frontrunner in many things, especially their multi-culturalism. Leading architect IM Kadri’s wife is Hindu. Of their children, Isha is married to Punjabi businessman Yogesh Mehra; Monisha (Mana) to Mangalorean Sunil Shetty, and son Rahul to Gujarati Shimul Javeri. Rahul and Shimul’s daughter, Sana, is quite the chip off the old block. US-based Sana has just launched a line of organic turmeric. Her aim, she has said in an interview, is to claim space for brown farmers and desi narratives in America, a country that’s been enjoying its turmeric lattes and beauty potions lately. Moreover, the 24-yearold identifies herself as queer and has fun and provocative posts on her lifestyle in the US. In one, she shared her dismay with Brett Kavanaugh getting into the Supreme Court, and said: “Feeling heavy and hopeless today in the face of the Kavanaugh vote and the deep grief that the simple act of saying that #WeBelieveSurvivors is too much for this country’s government and right wing to acknowledge. But somewhat uplifted by the knowledge that I get to show up to work and champion for WOC/POC/queers and women, and work alongside this crew of women every day. We’re not there yet, and we’re all tired and hurting, but we’re stronger than they ever imagined, we have the legacy of survivors and warriors and matriarchy on our side. So I have to believe that between all of our shared strength and courage, the fall of the patriarchy and this broken system is just around the corner. I have to believe that and I hope you can too. Take care of yourself friends.” We’d love to hear her thoughts on the Indian #MeToo too.

Actor Sonakshi Sinha interacts with children at an event organised by an NGO in town on Tuesday.
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On a high

Yash Birla at the lake

WHILE most industrialists and their prettier halves are showing off their holidays in Europe or the US, attending fancy events, or eating out at expensive restaurants, Yash Birla is, as always, seeking spiritualism up in the Himalayas where he also has a home. These days, Birla is at Kagbhusandi Lake, 15,000 feet above MSL. Birla says the “subtle is audible to evolved beings” here. The beautiful lake is located in the lap of Hathi Parvat, and according to legend, is so named because a large number of crows are said to head there to die. Never mind the folklore, Kagbhusandi is known for its beautiful forests, meadows and glaciers.

TARDEO’S Imperial Towers, designed by architect Hafeez Contractor for the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, is a veritable SoBo landmark. The clubhouse at the city’s tallest structures, home to banking and tech bigwigs and top lawyers, among others, was managed by the Taj Group since its launch. But, following the bitter fallout between Cyrus Mistry and the Tatas, the Taj Group, it is learnt, did not renew the contract that expired earlier this year. The clubhouse is now managed by The Leela Group.

THIS haute new Bollywood couple has just started their round two of romance. But even though they have been casually spotted here and there, their love story goes back four years. They were on a break for some time last year when the hunky star found cosiness in the company of his current co-star. But the co-star was unceremoniously dumped, as soon as the actor and the ladylove got back together.
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